


When A Stranger Knocks.

by Nicolasgrimshaw



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Comedy, Crushes, Drunk Louis, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, Funny, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 04:26:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15259422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicolasgrimshaw/pseuds/Nicolasgrimshaw
Summary: Louis and Harry only ever share passing conversations in their apartment complex, and Louis’s fool proof plan of actually getting to know Harry more is by showing up at his doorstep drunk off his ass. What could go wrong?





	When A Stranger Knocks.

Louis had the perfect plan. It was fool proof. He and Harry had only ever shared passing conversation when they were both entering the flat complex, considering they typically finished their days at the same time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

But Louis wanted to actually have a conversation with him, not just the 'hey, how's it going, good and you?' bullshit. He wanted to talk. And he was going to get that done. All he had to do was take two shots of vodka then go over to Harry's apartment and ask to borrow some sugar, or salt, or something. That was the plan. 

But that's not what happened. 

It was a Wednesday night. Harry was sitting at his desk in his room studying for his next organic chemistry exam, but the knock on the door made him look up from his laptop. There was another rapid knock and Harry stood up, venturing down the hallway and to the door. He unlocked it, then opened it up. 

Before him stood Louis, drunker than an Irish man on St. Patrick's Day, leaning against the door frame so he wouldn't fall over. Harry smiled in amusement. 

"Well hello there," He greeted. Louis burst out into a fit of giggles, covering his hand over his mouth to stifle them. 

"Hey," He said before laughing more. 

"Can I help you with something?" Louis nodded. 

"I was wonderin' if ya had salt for me to borrow. I need...fries for my salt." He slurred out before a look of utter confusion came across his face. He started laughing hysterically. "I meant salt for my fries! Not fries for my salt, that doesn' even make any sense." Harry just smiled down at him. "I'm sorry, I'm a little hammered righ' now." He apologized leaning against the door frame to keep himself upright.

"I can tell." He teased back softly. Louis smiled, his eyes closed. He suddenly stood himself up straight, but then teetered forward, falling into Harry. Harry laughed, grabbing Louis' wrists and helping steady himself up. 

"So abou' the salt...my fries are getting cold 'nd...no one likes cold fries. Ya know what else is bad cold? Pizza. People always rave 'bout cold pizza, but...that shit is nasty. Jus' nasty. I don't get it. Do you get it?" Harry laughed. 

"Why don't I grab my salt and walk you back to your flat?" He suggested. Louis grinned happily, clapping his hands together loudly in excitement. Harry let go of Louis then stepped back. He disappeared in his flat before reappearing with a salt shaker. Harry stepped out into the hallway then closed his door. Louis wrapped his hands around Harry's arm, stumbling down the hall beside him. Harry was so endeared. 

"'Nd...my pal Liam hates sal' in his fries. He just...hey, I just said sal." Louis said giggling. "Which is Spanish for salt, so technically...I didn' say anything wrong." Harry simply laughed before they came upon Louis' door. Louis squealed with glee before pushing open the door and bumbling inside. 

"Whoa there." Harry said catching Louis by the arm before he could fall on his face. Louis just started laughing hysterically, and he couldn't stop laughing. He leaned onto Harry's shoulder, hiding his face in it. Harry smiled to himself, stepping inside. He closed the door behind him and Louis stood up straight. He was still chuckling as he walked over to the kitchen. A pan of fries was sitting on top of the oven. Harry walked over before pausing. "Um, Louis, you haven't even cooked these yet?" Louis just blinked down at the pan before looking up at Harry. 

"What?" He asked blinking slowly up at him, looking utterly confused. 

"These aren't cooked." Harry told him with a laugh. "They're frozen." 

"But...I put them in the oven for 17 minutes."

"Did you turn the oven on?" Louis just stood there, staring up at Harry blankly. 

"I don' know how to work the oven." He stated slowly. Harry smiled, laughing softly. 

"Oh, really?" 

"Can...you make these for me?" Louis asked him softly. Harry glanced at the oven then back at Louis who looked like he was about to pass out at any second. 

"Sure." Good thing Harry had no plans for the night. He reached out and turned on the oven to preheat to 375 degrees. He had no idea what temperature the fries were supposed to cook at, but he figured 375 was a good guess. Louis had wandered back into the living room. Harry watched him as he picked up a bottle of raspberry vodka and took a long swig of it. Harry stepped back into the kitchen, rummaging through his cupboards to find a cup. 

He eventually found one through the various empty cupboards and filled it with water. He ventured out into the living room. Louis was sitting on the couch, holding the bottle by the neck. 

"Here, have the drink!" He exclaimed holding the bottle of vodka up to him. Harry laughed softly. He just took the bottle and held it at his side. 

"Here, drink this." He said holding the cup of water down to him. 

"What is it?" 

"Water." Louis made a foul face. 

"I don' want water."

"Well, you need it. C'mon, drink it." Louis took the cup and downed it in a second. Harry snatched the cap off the coffee table then capped the vodka. He went back into the kitchen and placed the bottle up on top of the cupboards, hopeful it was out of Louis' reach. He went back to the living room. "Do you have a roommate around?" Louis shook his head. 

"He's...he's out. Like, not out of the closet. I mean, he went gone to Liverpool." Louis said before giggling. "Went gone." He repeated in a lower voice. Harry laughed softly, sitting down on the couch. 

"Any reason you decided to get shitfaced by yourself on a weekday?" He asked him in amusement. Louis nodded. 

"I wanted to talk to you." He told him with a grin. 

"About what?" 

"No, not abou' something." Louis said leaning against Harry's shoulder. "Just talk. Meet you. Because...I think you're cute." He continued. "But 'm not gay." Harry laughed. 

"Oh, you're not?" Louis nodded. He started laughing then hid his face in Harry's shoulder again, stifling his giggles. 

"I'm...bisexual. Ya know? Girls 'nd guys. But I like guys more. 'M still valid though—you know...my ex thought I was gay, 'nd when I said I was bi he broke up with me because he said I was more likely to cheat. But...that's such bullshit. I would never cheat. Never cheat. 'Nd sexuality really is fluid so...everyone could cheat with anyone at any time. Why...is it different with bisexuals? I don' even like t' tell people I'm bi." 

"I understand what you're going through. I'm bisexual as well." 

"I'm also asexual." Louis stated loudly. "So...I guess that makes me biromantic, cause...ya can't be two sexualities, right? Like, it doesn't make sense to say I'm bisexual and asexual because that would mean I don't experience sexual attraction but I'm sexually attracted to men and women. But...biromantic means I'm romantically attracted to men and women. That makes sense, right?" Harry laughed softly, nodding it his. 

"It makes total sense." 

"Are the fries done?" Harry smiled. 

"I haven't even put them in the oven yet. It's still preheating." Louis frowned. 

"I want pizza rolls." He whined before groaning. "But I don't have any pizza rolls. Do you have any?"

"I don't, sadly."

"Oh, you suck." Louis replied sticking his tongue out at him, making Harry laugh. 

"I know." Louis broke out into a grin, laughing softly. Harry smiled. He stood up and went into the kitchen. He put the pan of French fries in the oven, set a timer for 15 minutes, then went back to the living room. Louis was sprawled out along the couch. 

"Are they done yet?" He asked. 

"Nope." Harry replied squeezing himself down on the end of the couch. Louis lifted his head up and scooted closer, laying it on Harry's thigh. 

"I thought...you were takin' them out of the oven." 

"Nope, I just put them in." 

"But I'm hungry." Harry smiled down at him. 

"Well, you've got to wait 15 minutes."

"We should go out sometime." Louis blurted out. "Like, you know, on a date. I...I could be good for ya. I'm really cute. And you're really cute. We'd basically be perfected." He slurred. Harry laughed softly to himself, smiling down at Louis. "Not perfected, perfect. God, 'm so shitfaced." 

"That you are." Harry remarked. Louis laughed as if that was the funniest thing he had ever heard in his life. It made Harry smile. God, he didn't know if he had even stopped smiling since Louis knocked on his door. 

"Fuck, I didn' even ask ya if you were seeing anyone. Are you single?" He nodded. 

"I am single currently." 

"Great, we should...get dinner. Like, you know, not casually. Officially. Somewhere nice. I'd spring, my treat." Harry nodded. 

"Okay." He said more or less to humor him. Based on how drunk Louis was Harry didn't think he was going to remember anything. 

"Good, cause ya know...I really like you. Like...like, like you. Ya know...I actually get home 15 minutes before you usually, but...I wait in my car for you so we can walk in at the same time just so I can walk by ya 'nd say hi." Harry looked down at him curiously. 

"Really?" Louis nodded, his head still resting on Harry's thigh. 

"Yeah, yeah. You're really nice and funny. I honestly look forward to it." Louis stated. "Are the fries done?" 

"Not yet, the timer hasn't gone off." Harry told him with a small smile. 

"Ya know what place has great French fries? Chick-fil-A."

"They are pretty good." Harry agreed. 

"Ya sure ya don't wanna shot?" Louis reached out to the coffee table before pausing. "Hey, where'd my vodka go?" He sat up confused. 

"I put it away, I think you've had enough to drink." 

"You can never have enough." Louis lunged up off the couch and stumbled over into the kitchen, with Harry following close behind him. Louis pressed the side of his body up against the fridge to steady himself. "Wow, I can barely even see straight." He started laughing. "Get it? Cause I'm not straight." Harry forced a small smile. Louis started opening cabinets. 

"You know, you've already had an awful lot to drink by the looks of it. Why don't you drink some water, eat your fries, then sleep and you can drink again this weekend?" Harry suggested. 

"Ah, there it is. It's above the cabinets." He just stared up at it near the ceiling before turning to Harry. "Why...would ya put it so high up? Imma short dude, how...how am I supposed t' reach that?" 

"You're not, that's the point." Much to Harry's amazement, Louis started climbing up on the counter, reaching for the plastic bottle. Harry's heart jumped into his throat, and he walked over to the counter, close behind Louis. Louis grabbed the neck of the bottle before his intoxicated state caused him to lose balance. He fell to the side, and Harry tried to catch him, but failed. They both clattered down to the kitchen tile together. Louis burst out laughing. 

"Good thing this bottle is plastic. I was smart, I planned ahead." Louis practically climbed up the cabinets trying to stand himself up. He set the bottle down on the counter then opened a cabinet, pulling down two shot glasses. "Okay, I hope you like raspberry Karkov because that's...all I have at the moment." Harry stood back up, watching Louis pour the vodka into the two shot glasses, spilling more on the counter than in the glasses. 

"You really shouldn't drink more." Harry advised. He grabbed the bottle, twisting the cap back on as Louis downed the shot. Harry exhaled deeply. He shook his head to himself, reaching up and putting the bottle back above the cabinets. 

"Well, if you don' take your shot I will." Harry picked up the shot glass. He turned and dumped it into the sink. Louis gasped, slapping his hands over his face in disbelief. "You just wasted it!" He practically shouted. 

"Well I didn't want it, and you've had enough to drink." Harry replied flatly. Louis just scoffed, turning around and stumbling out of the kitchen. Harry followed behind him, ready to try and catch him if he were to collapse. Louis could barely stand up. 

Louis walked into his bedroom and fell down on his bed on his stomach. Harry waited for him to turn over on his back, but he never did. 

"Louis, you should turn  over." Louis just groaned. 

"Bite me." He said before snickering. He eventually turned over on his back, looking up at Harry. "Hey there, Casanova." Harry chuckled softly. 

Before Harry could even think of a response, or what to say next, Louis sat straight up. His expression was completely flat and his face white; he looked like he had seen a ghost. He scrambled up to his feet and made a beeline for the bathroom across the hall, practically falling the entire way there. Harry rushed after him and made it in time to witness Louis throw up all over the toilet, not in it. Harry cringed to himself. 

"Oh, Louis, no." He murmured under his breath. Louis just sat there hunched over the toilet, lifting up the seat. He had vomit all over his chin, and neck, and hands. It was also all over the floor, toilet, and parts of the wall. "Is there another bathroom?" Louis nodded weakly. 

"Other end of the apartment...by Liam's room." 

"Okay, come on." Harry walked over to him. He helped Louis up, and escorted him to the other bathroom. Once there and seated in front of the clean toilet, Harry helped him clean off his face and even brought him a clean shirt and pants to change into. 

Once Louis was situated, Harry set out to clean the original bathroom. And luckily it didn't take too long, and he could hear Louis's moans and groans perfectly. 

After Harry had finished the bathroom, and went back to Louis and brought him out to the couch in the living room, coaxing him to lay down. When Harry started to walk away to see if there was a bucket anywhere in the apartment for Louis, he was stopped when Louis grasped his wrist. 

"Ya know, you're kinda like my knight in shining armor. I always wanted a knight." He said, peering up at Harry. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Harry said with a smile. Louis let go of his wrist, and sunk back against the couch, closing his eyes. Harry found a bucket under the kitchen sink full of rags. He dumped them out and placed it on the floor, below Louis's head. “I have to finish studying for my OChem exam, are you going to be okay alone? I can come back to check on you.” 

When Louis didn’t respond, Harry believed he had finally passed out. Before he left, he set a glass of water on the coffee table, then dipped. He went back to his own place to study, and went back to Louis’s to check on him every hour, until Harry himself fell asleep in his own bed. 

-

When Louis woke up the next morning he spent almost half the day in the bathroom lying beside the toilet and downing Aleve for a massive headache. He barely remembered the previous night, but remembered enough to feel completely humiliated by his own self. He could never face Harry again. 

But he had to, he couldn’t just let it be. He had to apologize. He skipped all his classes and called into work, and spent the rest of the day recuperating and formulating a way for him to show his face to Harry without dying of embarrassment. 

Nonetheless, at 5 in the afternoon Louis was standing outside Harry's door, shaking like a leaf. He hadn't even knocked and he wasn't sure if he was going to. How was he supposed to face Harry? He couldn't, he shouldn't, he had to leave the country! 

He felt like he couldn't even breathe. No matter how many times he wiped his palms against his thighs they were still sweaty and clammy. What was he supposed to say? Harry probably never wanted to see him again. 

Suddenly the door swung open, and Harry had one foot through the door before he stopped short. 

Louis felt himself panic. Was his heart even still beating? He gawked up at Harry in shock, and Harry just looked down at him before smiling. 

"Oh, hi." He greeted. Louis swallowed thickly. 

"Hi." Harry had his jacket on and his keys in his hand like he was preparing to go somewhere. "I'm sorry, I can...I can come back."

"No, it's fine. I was just heading out to the store, I'm in no rush. What brings you by?" Louis rubbed his arm nervously. "Need more salt?" Teased Harry. 

Louis just wanted to die. 

"I am so sorry about that." He blurted out. 

"You mean you remember?" Harry asked in amusement. Louis nodded hesitantly. 

"Just...bits and pieces, but...I'm so embarrassed and I'm so sorry for any uncomfortable position I put you in, or if I said anything that made you uncomfortable. I mean, you were so nice to basically take care of me and I know...I know I can be a bit of a sloppy drunk, which was not something you should've had to take care of practically. You know, I'm sure you had plans of your own that night and I just...derailed them. But I...I also want to say thank you because...well if we're being honest, I probably would've choked on my own vomit in my sleep if I had stayed by myself, I don't know what came over me." Louis took a deep breath. "So...yeah, I'm just...I'm really sorry and also thankful. I...yeah. I'll see you around." Louis didn't even want to give Harry a chance to say anything. He pivoted to the side and started walking down the hall. 

"Well, wait." Harry stepped into the hallway, letting his close swing shut behind him. Louis stopped, keeping his back to Harry as he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping this was all a dream. He took a deep breath and turned around to face Harry who walked up to him. "I appreciate your apology, but I don't think you have anything to apologize for."

"Are you joking? I showed up at your doorstep drunk off my ass and you basically had to take care of me while I'm babbling about...going on a fucking date and confessing all this stuff to you, somethings I've never told anyone. I can only imagine how much of an awkward and uncomfortable situation that must've put you in. I don't have to apologize for that?" Harry smiled, nodding his head. 

"What did you say that you haven't told anyone?" He then asked curiously. Louis was as red as a tomato. 

"I've never...I've never told anyone that I'm ace except for Liam." Louis said quickly. Harry just smiled again. 

"Oh." Louis closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly to himself. 

"Yeah, well, once again, I'm sorry-"

"You don't have to apologize-"

"Yes, I do. I do."

"Well, maybe if I didn't feel the same way." Louis rose his eyebrow up at him, crossing his arms. 

"You don't feel like that put you in an uncomfortable position?" Louis asked, making Harry laugh. 

"I guess that too, but I meant about you." Louis thought he felt his heart stop. Adrenaline started coursing through his veins and his heart began to race. He was sweating like crazy. 

"What do you...what do you mean?" 

"Well, you think you put me in an uncomfortable position because I don't want to go on a date, or return any feelings, but that's not the case." Louis rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Please elaborate." He said slowly. 

"Maybe I could elaborate over dinner tonight." Harry answered. "With you."

"You really want to go out to dinner? Even after witnessing me being drunk as fuck the other night?" Harry laughed in amusement, nodding his head. Louis smiled back at him shyly, in disbelief that the conversation was even happening. 

"Yes, even after witnessing you being drunk as fuck." He said. "How about 7 o'clock tonight? At Hibiscus?" 

"Okay." Louis wasn't sure if he was even capable of talking, he couldn't believe Harry had just asked him out to dinner. Harry grinned at him. 

"Okay then." Louis looked away, glancing around the brown carpet beneath his feet. "I can pick you up—well, you know, I don't know, show up at your doorstep around 6:50ish?" 

"Okay." God, Louis was blushing like an idiot. He was so red, it was ridiculous. Harry was endeared by it all. 

"Good." Harry nodded his head. "Well, I'm going to run to the store, but I'll see you soon." 

"Okay." Was that all he could say? He started laughing, giggling more like it, and Harry smiled at him fondly. Louis took a deep breath, covering his hand over his mouth. 

"Okay." Harry turned around, heading towards the end of the hallway towards the entrance, and Louis turned around, walking back the opposite direction to his flat. 

He had a date to get ready for.

**Author's Note:**

> had this sitting in my drafts for literally ever. just something fun, hope you enjoyed it. xx


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